Inner Demon
by Sweetdeath04
Summary: Post-Episode Six. Coming to the house of a vampire in the middle of the night and waiting for her while she was either indulging her vampire urges or fighting them as no other had done before her was probably not the greatest idea Rupert Galvin ever had.


Disclaimer: I don't own Demons or Dracula or anything related to them.

**A.N. **_How could they end the series like that!? There better be a second season! I don't think I can wait a week let alone another year to find out what happens next! Oh well, I guess that's where we fanfic-er's come in!_

_Enjoy!_

**Inner Demon**

He knew that this wasn't the wisest thing he had ever done. Hell, it could probably be rated amongst the dumbest. But here he was, breaking into Mina Harker's house.

That wasn't the problem though. After all, he had his own key. It was the fact that he had the utmost intention of staying there until Mina returned.

"It's like force feeding an ex-junkie their favourite drug," he had told Luke and Ruby. "This isn't like last time," he stated, referring to only a few weeks ago when Mina had forced herself to amplify her demonic abilities with the intention of killing Quincey. "This time she actually _tasted_ blood. This time the temptation's going to be a lot harder to fight."

He had seen the look of absolute horror on Luke's face and known exactly what he was thinking, _"If she starts acting differently, we grade her and smite her." _His own words during the incident with Quincey. But he knew then, just as he knew now that it would never be that easy.

When he and Mina had learned of the possibility of using a vampire's DNA to kill them she had pulled a couple of hairs from her head, placed them in a vial and given them to him. He had understood why- she would rather be killed than live like the half-lives she had sworn to smite. No, that wasn't the problem.

The problem was that he and Mina had been through too damned much together for he, Rupert Galvin, to be capable of even pointing a weapon at her.

So coming to the house of a vampire in the middle of the night and waiting for her while she was either indulging her vampire urges or fighting them as no other had done before her was not the greatest idea he ever had.

He hadn't intended to come. After leaving Luke and Jenny's apartment he had left Ruby home and driven to his own apartment. He even turned off the car. He just didn't have the energy to open the door. So after sitting until the car was cold he started the Mercedes up again and drove. It was an other-worldly impulse that directed him to Mina's house and convinced him to let himself in. It was a very dangerous other-worldly impulse.

And he didn't like it. He didn't like thinking of Mina as dangerous either. At least, not dangerous to _him_.

He sat in the dark, helping himself to the whiskey that Mina kept only for his sake, until the sun began to rise. He was still alert when the key turned in the lock, only to find the door already open. She walked in and her voice echoed though the hall, "Rupert, you shouldn't be here."

God, she sounded so frightened, more like a little girl than a woman of over one hundred and fifty years old. When she entered the room where he was seated she kept as far away as possible from him. She had been able to sense him for as long as he had known her. But could she _see _him? No, her eyes were unfocused and her fingertips brushed the wall, keeping her grounded. She was blind.

Before Mina had told him what he was, he never thought he'd be happy to say that about anybody. But he was more than happy, he was relieved! Relieved that the next loved one he would have to bury was not going to be Mina. She had fought!

"And yet, here I am," he said, rising off the couch to meet her before her voice cried,

"No! Don't come near me! Don't _touch _me, Rupert! Please!"

He took two firm paces backwards, defying all instinct to reach out to her as she covered her face with her hands and slid down the wall.

She had fought, yes, otherwise her blindness would not have yet returned. But she was still fighting. Fighting for her soul.

Stepping around the sofa he stumped against the wall opposite and waited. He was usually so detached that the urge to go and comfort her seemed unusual. Yet it was there and it was the last thing she needed right now. Ever since Maggie had been killed he had tried to keep his emotions at bay. At least, those that wouldn't help him when it came down to the dirty work of smiting demons. It was that which had allowed him to snatch Luke from a burning car, leaving his best friend, corrupt as he was, to die. But now, more than anything, he wanted to wrap his arms around the woman opposite him. He wanted to drop a kiss on her cheek- one of those kisses that was more than simple friendship but toed the line that neither of them could bring themselves to cross.

But he couldn't for fear that it would ruin her and kill him. And so he waited. He left the heavy curtains closed. He had no idea how Mina felt, but after meeting Quincey and seeing his own personal hearse he imagined that she would have the same reaction to sunlight that he had whilst suffering from a killer hangover. He ignored his cell phone and the message Luke left, inquiring rather insistently whether or not he knew if Mina was 'okay'.

Her shoulders had long since stopped shaking when she finally asked, "Rupert, why are you here?"

Any answer his mind could formulate seemed inadequate so he answered honestly, "I don't know."

She sniffed pathetically. Eventually she looked up directly at him though bloodshot, unseeing eyes. "I think you're going to have to kill me this time," she said, her voice so soft it was like a whisper. "I don't think I can do this again." Before he had even opened his mouth to utter the angry protest that immediately came to mind, she continued, "I almost killed you last night. You and Ruby. I saw you come out of Luke's and I was so close- I could _smell_ you, Rupert, and I wanted to _taste _you so _badly_!" She broke off with a sob.

He hadn't sensed her, he realised. He had been so damn busy _worrying_ about her that he hadn't even sensed her. "Why didn't you?" he asked quietly.

"Because I _couldn't_!" she cried. "To have you would have either meant I would kill you or change you into the thing you hate the most! And I just couldn't do that! Not to you!"

It was with that broken sentence that he knew he was safe. He pushed himself off the wall and stretched his cramped legs as he walked the seven paces that it took to reach her. She tensed as he sat beside her but accepted him placing his arm around her diminutive form. "And Ruby?" he asked. "The two of you seemed to be working well enough together yesterday." Ruby's statement about Mina having 'issues' was not an insult, he had later realised, but just Ruby's way of expressing worry. "I didn't even hear her snipe about you once when we were at Luke's," he teased.

Mina gave an unladylike snort as she relaxed at last. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "We were merely working for a common goal. I have no doubt that today all bickering will be back to normal." She sighed, "I didn't let myself kill either of you and I was able to run away, but it doesn't mean I'm _safe._" She turned her head to face him, eyes open.

His response was to tighten his arm around her. "I don't think I need to kill you. Not this time." As her hand rose to clasp his he whispered, "I'll help you. I'll help you fight this."

Realising what he had said and how close he was to that invisible line, he cleared his throat and said, "And so will Ruby, if reluctantly, and Luke. He says he owes you big time."

He knew what _turning_ had meant for her. He knew the risk just as well as she. He was grateful- oh so grateful- that she had told Luke the truth about Jay when he had not been able. Grateful didn't even begin to describe how he felt when she forced herself to turn, to kill Gladiolus Thrip. To save them from _his _mistake.

But he wouldn't mention it. Not now. Because until he knew that there would be no further cost he didn't dare face it himself.

For each time she embraced her vampirism it got harder and harder for her to let go. He had seen it only a handful of times but the aftermath was always something he wished he could spare her from. During her fight with Thrip he had only said one word. _'Mina.' _It had been filled with wonder, pain and, dare he admit it, love.

And as he held her, Rupert Galvin swore that he would never allow circumstances to become so desperate that Mina would have to face her inner demon again.

**A.N.**_ Okay, that didn't exactly turn out how I expected. But, in any case I hope you like it! At least it will add to the small collection of Demons' fics we have here at the moment! _

_Please let me know what you think!_

_**~Sweetdeath04**_


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